Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Carew, Matthew

500731Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 09 — Carew, Matthew1887William Prideaux Courtney

CAREW, Sir MATTHEW (d. 1818), master in chancery, was the younger son (being the tenth of nineteen children) of Sir Wymond Carew of Antony, Cornwall, treasurer of the first-fruits and tenths, by Martha Denny, sister of Sir Anthony Denny. He was educated at Westminster School, under Alexander Newell, and proceeded to Trinity College, where he become a fellow and remained in residence for ten years. On determining to adopt the law as his profession in life, Carew repaired to Louvain, and continued studying there and at other universities on the continent for twelve years. His next step was to accompany Henry, earl of Arundel, into Italy as interpreter, and to return with the earl to English Carew then entered upon practice in the court of arches, and ultimately became master in chancery, a position which he held so long as to he styled in 1802 one of the ‘ancientest' masters, and to justify his being knighted on 23 July 1603, before the coronation of James I. His wife was Alice, eldest daughter of Sir John Rivers, knight, lord mayor of London, and widow of one Ingpenny; by her Csrew had numerous children. He was buried at St. Dunstan's-in-the-West on 2 Aug. 1618, the main incidents in his career being described in a memorial tablet in the church, and his name being kept in remembrance by a charitable bequest for the poor of the parish. At the close of his life Carew was involved in trouble. There was a rumour in January 1613 that he would be 'cozened' of eight or nine thousand pounds through the fraud of a person in whom he reposed great confidence, and a little later his eldest son was engaged in a quarrel with one Captain Osborne, 'and, whether thro' him or another Cary, poor Osborne was slain.'

[Court and Times of James I, i. 220, 330; Collect. Topog. et Geneal. v. 206–8; Bibl. Topog. Britt. i. 30; Herald and Genealogist, vii. 575; Visit. of Cornwall (Harl. Soc. 1874), p. 33.]

W. P. C.

Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.54
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line

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55 ii 9 f.e. Carew, Sir Matthew: for ultimately read in 1588